News

Downtown Des Moines skatepark may finally happen

March 20, 2018

Des Moines Register

Stop us if you’d heard this before, but downtown Des Moines could soon have a world-class skate park.

The teens who first spearheaded efforts to create the park in the early 2000s may be grown and starting their own careers, but the seeds they planted are finally taking root along the Des Moines riverfront.

The city of Des Moines plans to donate 5 acres of riverfront property near Wells Fargo Arena for the long-awaited project later this month.

And backers say they have raised $2.2 million of the $3.5 million needed to build it.

“We don’t have mountains in Des Moines. We don’t have oceans. But we do have amazing outdoor recreational opportunities,” said Brad Anderson, a member of the group raising money for the project. “The bike trails have shown: If you build it, they will come.”

"Skateboarding is on a roll; the fast-growing sport makes its Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2020. Des Moines is ahead of the curve, breaking ground on what will be the largest skate park in the Midwest when it launches downtown in 2019."